About Us
About Reverend George and Sister Annette Downs
Reverend George Downs and Sister Annette Downs are natives of Spartanburg SC who relocated to and raised their children in Washington DC. The couple resided in Washington DC for over 35 years and while living there, they maintained close ties to Spartanburg and family.
Reverend and Mrs. Downs are strong believers in the power of education. They ensured their four children had access to a higher education. Reverend Downs, a 1991 graduate of the Washington Baptist Theological Seminary, relished his educational pursuits and learning in his effort to fulfill God’s will for their life. Sister Downs, pursued her educational goals while working for the US Government. He and Sister Downs were students of the Bible and of church administration under God’s Will.
The couple returned to Spartanburg SC after they were elected as Pastor and First lady of Ebenezer Baptist Church. The church that Reverend and Sister Downs were members of during early childhood. The Downs family were long-time members of Ebenezer Baptist Church and intricately involved with the church since its founding. Essentially, they returned home where they served the Ebenezer congregation and community as Pastor and First Lady for 19 years until Reverend Downs retired. Mrs. Downs continues to be an active member of Ebenezer today. Reverend Downs, transitioned from time to eternity in April of 2017.
The Reverend George and Sister Annette Downs Scholarship (RGADS) is established in recognition the couple to support students in their post-secondary educational pursuits. This scholarship fund has three main focuses and will provide resources in the following areas:
- Educational Scholarships:
- HBCU Scholarship to assist students accepted into an accredited Historically Black College or University
- Academic scholarship to assist a student accepted into an accredited degree granting trade/technical institution.
- Personal finance Education – A scholarship to Financial Peace University online learning program to help the student develop sound personal financial practices and knowledge
- Building Generational Wealth Through Estate Planning – Provide Information to helps families and students understand the importance of generating and sustaining generational wealth through proper estate and legacy planning.
The Importance of Historically Black Colleges and Universities
For more than 100 years, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have been educating minorities, providing them with a student experience they cannot receive anywhere else; providing economic opportunities and instilling great values. HBCUs consistently produce leaders in their communities and across the nation, and most importantly HBCUs consistently and affordably producing global leaders of the future. HBCU are also great economic engines, generating millions of dollars for the communities in which they reside.
Dr. Michael Lomax has highlighted six of the numerous reasons Historically Black Universities and Colleges remain a necessary and relevant to the development of minority students.
- Outsized Impact, Low-Cost = “Best Buy” in Education Today, the nation’s 106 HBCUs make up just 3% of America’s colleges and universities, yet they produce almost 20% of all African American graduates and 25% of African American graduates in the STEM fields of science,
- Meeting the Needs of Low-income, First-generation Students technology, engineering and mathematics — the critical industries of the future.
- Lower Costs Narrow the Racial Wealth Gap
- Campus Climate Fosters Success
- Addresses the Nation’s Under- and Unemployment Crisis
- HBCUs Offer a True Value/Values Proposition